Bad Knees? Here Are the Best Exercises for You

Rachel GrussiJuly 24, 20140

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You only have two knees, so if you’re pushing them further than they can
recover, it’s time to hit the brakes and find some alternative exercise!
Seriously, if you're feeling pain in your knees after your usual
calorie-blasting workouts, take a day to recover and assess, and then
you may want to start with some of these easy-on-your knee exercises.
They'll help you stay up to date on your fitness regimen while making
sure that you don't cause damage permanently.

Let's face it, it's hard to stay in shape without some kind of cardio
exercises, but the ones that are the most touted are often painful for
bad knees. Fret not, though, there are some workouts that are safe and
effective for bad knees, such as these ones suggested by our friends at
Gaiam
Life.

Important note: if you're suffering from a knee injury, be sure to take
it easy on these first rounds. These exercises are very low impact, but
consult your physical care provider before you go all out. Sometimes,
simple stretching rather than
exercise is the way to go!

Step-Ups

Works:

Gluteus, hamstrings, quads

Directions:

Standing in front of a staircase, place one foot flat on the bottom
step. (You also can use a step bench.)

Make sure your entire foot is on the step and your knee is directly
above your ankle.

Putting your weight on the heel of your elevated foot, step onto the
foot, lift the opposite foot and tap the step and the floor.

Switch when you've completed at least 10 reps.

To make this bad-knee workout even more effective, do curls with light
weights each time you step up.

Partial Squats

Works:

Knees, quads

Although full squats are among the worst bad-knee exercises, partial
squats are actually one of the best.

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Rachel Grussi

California Bay Area native-turned-Coloradan Rachel Grussi Keller is a lifetime writer and UC Irvine graduate of Literary Journalism. Rachel’s true passion lies in telling the untold story, unraveling the facts and writing the best balance of all sides. With a benevolent bodybuilding father passing on his wellness wisdom, she has a long history of love for health and fitness, as well as helping others come to understand who they are and finding their value.
Rachel can often be found digging into Bioware titles, bonding with animals of all sizes (particularly dogs), traveling to destinations near and far, pushing the limit on her library card and putting yet another mile into her running shoes. She currently lives in the Denver area with her own Prince Charming, Jonathan, and their eternally-energetic, loveable Lab-Pit mutt, Lani.
Twitter: @rgrussi